Here We Stand
by CourtCourtNay
Summary: This is a Draco Malfoy Love Story. The main character is Calliope Mason, age 16.
1. Chapter 1

I gasped, waking up from the horrible dream again. It was Voldemort in that dream, and he was planning death for someone.

_He pointed his wand at me, then towards the person laying on the floor. I could only see his legs. Voldemort spoke. "Tell me where it is, now! Or I will kill your little boyfriend." That was the confusing part of the scene. I didn't have a boyfriend. Voldemort then walked over to the boy. He moved the blanket away from the upper part of the boy's body. It was Draco. He was struggling, shaking his head violently. He was trying to get me not to tell Voldemort? Not even to save his life? That didn't sound like him, then again, this Draco looked older, less arrogant. I felt a pang in my chest. I would tell Voldemort, no matter what Draco wanted. I needed him to live. In the dream, I loved him. But I couldn't figure out what Voldemort wanted. He started counting, "Five, four, three, two, one, Avada Kedavra!" There was the beginning of a flash, and I woke up, crying for the person I hated most._

I was still breathing hard, taking in gulp after gulp of useless air. Tears streaked my face. It was still dark, about three in the morning. I got up and tried to walk it off, but it didn't work, so I sat down on my bed. My breathing eventually slowed, but the irrational tears kept coming. But somehow I finally managed to get to sleep, which was this time, thankfully, dreamless.

I woke up slowly this time, light seeping in my bedroom window. I walked over to my calendar, then momentarily panicked. It was the 31st , the 31st of August, and I hadn't packed up my stuff yet. I flew through the house, begging anyone in the place to help me. My brother and sister refused, so I flicked Sarah (who is younger than me, just starting Hogwarts) on the nose, and punched Darren (my seventh-year older brother) in the stomach. Donno, our house elf, was happy to help, and so was my mom.

**(A/N: It may seem horrible that they have a house elf, but unlike other people, they aren't cruel to him. They don't command him to do things. They ask, unless it is something that will stand between life and death.) **

**We searched the house, looking for everything I needed to pack. We spent forever looking for my required sock, just to find them already laying in my trunk…. face palm, I know, but I forget things! Finally we were done and I went to get dressed for the day. I took a shower, put on some skinny jeans, oh how I would miss them at Hogwarts, and a Ravenclaw t-shirt. I then proceeded to the yard, where I inevitably saw Draco next door.**

**He smirked, "Hey, Mason."**

"**Hello, Malfoy," I replied. "Anything new inflating your already oversized ego?"**

**To my general surprise, he chuckled. "Why of course there is. We just had a new Quidditch pitch built in our yard. Want to play?"**

**I rolled my eyes at him, and in spite of myself, I smiled. "Sure, I'll get my broom."**

**As I walked over to the gigantic broom shed in my yard, I thought about my dream and how I was actually laughing around him. I should be smarter than this. I'm a Ravenclaw. It's not smart to like a Slytherin, even as a friend, especially Draco Malfoy. I had hated this boy for twelve years, ever since he pushed me into the fountain in his yard. He's been evil since we were three, and I'm playing Quidditch with him. Great idea, Calliope. Great idea. **

**Oddly enough, playing with Draco (not in that way, perverts) was actually fun. He wasn't being as stuck up as usual, saying that I must not be pureblood because my family is "soft", like he usually does. He was just being the Draco that I had started to like when we were nine, but turned around and started being a jerk again after I gave him what he wanted. I had to be careful. He wanted something from me, but I would NOT let him get it.**


	2. Chapter 2

_After the bright green light, the already blackened world got even darker. I had to get to Draco, and I didn't care what Voldemort did to me. He was nothing. He was a coward with nothing to live for. I ran over to Draco, stumbling in the dark. _

"Avada Kedavra!"

_There was another flash of light, piercing and green. It missed the target. I moved. I kept moving as more flashes passed me. At last I made it to Draco's side. I felt him breathing. It was impossible, but true. I bent down beside him and held him. He was unconscious, but not dead; there was hope. I leaned over him and gave him what I only instinctively knew to be my first, and last, kiss. His eyes fluttered open as our lips met._

"_I love you," I said. "This will be my last gift to you."_

_He shook his head, understanding what I was about to do. Voldemort rose up once again, shouted those fateful words, and caused green light to appear, an eerie, beautiful, and wicked light it was. I noted where it was aimed; exactly where I had expected; Draco's heart. I stepped forward and braced myself for the unknown darkness ahead of me. With adrenaline fuel, I had the speed to look at Draco one more time just as the green collided with my chest, and I heard him scream, _

"_NO! Calliope, NO!"_

_And then I was gone. None of that scene was there, and I was therefore unsure of what happened, but I do know one thing for certain. Draco was safe._

I shuddered awake yet again, my eyes stinging for what I felt might one day be true, but then I remembered the true Malfoy who lived next door, who insulted and verbally abused me every day, who has probably slept with so many girls he can't keep track, who is trying to suck up and get something from me, who I hated, and who I once believed I loved.

He had been such a jerk. We had gotten along for a while. I gave him whatever he wanted, and he paid me back with one thing only, heartbreak. I had been so young, no naïve then. I thought that that was how it was supposed to be. I thought that since love is said to hurt, that he and I had the strongest love, but he used me.

So now he's acting like the Draco I fell in love with at the beginning again. He's not being friendly, but charming and generally softer than he had been as the normal Malfoy. I'm not complaining; it's nice to have a break from him being the ridiculous snobby Malfoy that he is normally, but I am preparing. I won't fall for him again, because above all else: **HE HURT ME.**

It was time to leave for King's Cross. My whole family got in the car, except Donno, who I kissed on the top of the head before hopping in at the last second, and we drove to King's Cross station. I ran through the wall, told my parents goodbye, and boarded the train as fast as possible. I then proceeded to dart down the aisle of the train, peeking into compartments and looking for my friends Sarah, Elle, Mekenna, and Jules, not to mention all of the guys Jules hangs around with.

Only Sarah and Elle were in the compartment. Thank God.

"CALLIOPE!" They yelled. I noticed Elle's nose was broken. Again. I stared pointedly at it.

"My Granddaddy came to visit this week," she said. I understood immediately. Her grandfather abused the shit out of her.

"WHY haven't you done anything, Elle? If you don't get some help, one of you is going to end up dead, and there's a fifty-fifty chance that that person will be you." I said.

She didn't answer, so Sarah changed the subject. "It looked like you had something to spill as you came in, too," she said.

"Well, I do and I don't. You guys already know about what Malfoy did to me," I said.

"Of course we do. We know from when one of the guys slipped you veritaserum(sp?)," Sarah said. "So what do you need to spill?"

"Well there have been some weird things happening. Malfoy is becoming the Draco that I fell in love with before he turned back into his evil self, and I keep having weird dreams. They take place in a couple of years, and Voldemort is trying to get information-

Sarah cut me off. "This is serious! You have to tell Professor Dumbledore!"

"No she doesn't, Sarah," Elle piped up from her formerly silent corner.

"THANK you, Elle." I said. "Dumbledore's got his hands full with Harry, I'm sure. I **know** you guys remember what happened last year."

"Of course we do," Sarah said, tears brimming. "I **did** love Cedric, in case you've forgotten."

"I haven't, and that's why I expect you to understand. I've been talking to Hermione- I once again got cut off by Sarah.

"I hate her," she said.

I just stared at her for a bit, then continued, "I've been talking to my friend Hermione, and she says that Harry has been having weird dreams as well, but his are glimpses directly into Voldemort's mind. Don't you think that's a **bit** more concerning than a dream where I sacrificemyselftosaveMalfoybecauseIlovehimandIdon' twanthimtodie?" I asked, saying the last part as fast as I possibly could so that they wouldn't understand me.

**(A/N: Decoding: sacrifice myself to save Malfoy because I love him and I don't want him to die)**

"What?" Elle asked, a hint of disbelief coloring her voice.

"You heard me," I said, and then Jules and her crew came in. I found myself giving so many high fives and fist pounds I couldn't keep track. It was so loud in our compartment that all meaningful conversation was lost.

The train stopped, and we got in the carriages. We amazingly stuffed everyone from our compartment into a carriage, because like the compartment, one of Jules's seventh year friends put an undetectable extension charm on it.

We laughed all the way up to the castle, then we went our separate ways. Sarah, Elle, and I went to the Ravenclaw table with a few of the guys. Mekenna and a bunch of the other guys walked over to Hufflepuff, and Jules herself took a few guys to the Slytherin table. The last few guys walked over to the Gryffindor table alone.

The Sorting was, as usual, excruciatingly boring to watch, and even less kids were sorted into Ravenclaw this year. We are by far the smallest House, followed by Slytherin, then Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff was stuffed with younger students. That just goes to show how intellectually dull people are becoming. There are more purebloods than there are smart people. People just don't care about intellect anymore, even in the wizarding world. It makes sense with muggles. They sit around and watch TV and play violent video games all day. It confuses me in the wizarding world, though. We don't have any of that stuff.

Once the Sorting was finally over, Dumbledore stood up and gave his words, then let us eat. The feast was still as amazing as it was before. Obviously Hogwarts wasn't affected by the muggle recession. The food was so good that I can't remember if I talked to anyone the entire time.

Once the feast was over we went to our dorms and got ready for the first day of school, and all of us sixth years pulled a prank on our prefects. We used the extra firewood from the common room and built a raft, put all of their books on it, then we snuck out onto the grounds and anchored it in the middle of the lake. What a pleasant surprise **that** will be!

Once we finally got in our beds most of the girls in our dorm room fell asleep quickly, but Elle and I were still awake, so Elle turned to me and said, "Do you really love Malfoy?"

I had to think about it for a bit. "No," I answered truthfully. "But I have loved him, and I believe I will love him. It's just a matter of time, you know? If he does love me, then I will love him, but if he is just trying to manipulate me again I'll keep it on hold, and wait for him to grow up and quit telling people he loves them just to get them in bed."

"Yeah," she said. "And if you did love him now, you wouldn't be the only one who does."

"What?" I asked, shocked.

"Well have you seen the way Jules looks at him?" she asked.

"Oh shit, not again," I said

"What?" Elle asked.

"Second year one of Jules's friends liked me. He told me, but what he didn't tell me was that he and Jules were absolutely in love with each other. I stupidly started to let myself like him, and then I heard them talking to each other one day. They still don't know about it, but as soon as I heard them I told him to never talk to me again. So he doesn't. No matter what, we don't talk to each other directly, ever." I said, about to cry. "She's going to do it again." My voice went all high-pitched like it does when I'm starting to cry. I flipped over on my pillow and silently cried myself to sleep.

Just like the old days.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up early that morning, eager for the first day of classes. I was up early enough that no one else in my room was awake before I went down to breakfast. I wasn't sure that the Great Hall would even be open. There were few enough people in the halls, that's for sure. I passed Mrs. Norris in a corridor, and she stared at me as if I wasn't supposed to be there, but she didn't cry out for Filch so I assumed I was safe to roam the corridors. When I got to the Great Hall only one other student and Professor Sprout were in there. By the untamed hair of the girl at the Gryffindor table I knew it was Hermione. She was bent over a book, and didn't seem to be aware that I was there. Nevertheless, I decided to go and talk with her.

"Hey, Hermione," I said, smiling as brightly as I could. She seemed to be pulsing with energy, and I could tell she was more excited than even us Ravenclaws to be getting back to classes.. Despite the knowledge I gained just from seeing her, I asked, "Are you ready for classes to start today?"

"Of course I am," she said, absolutely serious but bubbling with anticipation. "But I'm concerned about Harry. He has been having more dreams with visions through Voldemort's eyes." She was fearful as she looked around to make sure no one had been in earshot of her confession. "I want him to tell Dumbledore, but Harry just says Dumbledore has enough to handle seeing as they sent in an Inquisitor."

I considered it for a moment, then said, "I think that if they keep bothering him he should let Dumbledore know, Inquisitor or no Inquisitor."

Hermione nodded. "I agree." At that she got up and left, presumably to go tell Harry she had gotten a second opinion.

Since Hermione was gone I decided to head over to the Ravenclaw table and wait for everyone. It wasn't long before people started trickling in, and the day at Hogwarts truly began.

Classes went quite well, and I was glad to be in them. I knew the feeling wouldn't last long as each subject would be the topic of more and more homework, and even Ravenclaws prefer to do work in class and have time for themselves elsewhere. For now, though, I only had one assignment in Muggle Studies, and it took me very little time to finish.

When I was done I went to talk to Elle. I needed Elle time. She was my best friend and as full of crap as she sometimes was, she knew how to stabilize me, which was more than anyone else could do. As I walked up to her, however, I realized she and Sarah were arguing again. Sarah had been reading Elle's journal and _she_ was mad at _Elle because she found fanfiction in the journal. Sometimes I just didn't know what to do about her. She just makes me so angry._

_Since I couldn't go talk to Elle, I decided to go down to the library and get a jump on the work I knew we would be assigned in DADA the next day. I could judge from the Umbridge chick's personality exactly what she would assign, and as much as I hated to do it, it's always wise to be ahead rather than behind._

_On my way down I had the misfortune of being reminded of the one person I didn't want to think about: Malfoy. What I saw hit me like harder than a roundhouse kick from Chuck Norris, and hurt worse. I felt like I had been stabbed in the heart, and the pain was all the worse because I knew I had no right to be feeling it. As I saw him pushing Jules up against the wall, kissing her passionately, my heart seemed to crumble, and then harden. I had no reason to be jealous of Jules. Malfoy had never liked me, and I didn't like him. All it had been was a stupid dream that I had let get to my head. I kept on walking but he caught my eye as I passed, and winked as he stuck his tongue into her mouth. I was disgusted with him and with myself. Why did I let him hurt me again? How did he know I hurt? _

_I headed back up to Gryffindor Tower for some comfort, and raised my hand to hush the portrait of the Fat Lady before she could ask for the password, instead asking her if Fred and George were inside. They weren't, so I had a feeling I knew where they were. I headed down near the Hufflepuff Common Room and tickled a picture of a pear on the wall, gaining entrance to the kitchen, where I found my greatest source of amusement, the Weasley twins._

_We snuck some food up to an old classroom and hung out for a while, and I was so glad to be around people who weren't serious all the time. It seemed to me like everyone else in and around Hogwarts was always concerned about something of vital importance. It was always Voldemort, classes, or love, and that night I wanted none of it. Fred and George made everything a laugh, until Fred looked at me with a concerned expression on his face and said, "Okay Cal, what's wrong?"_

"_We know there's something," George piped in. "You rarely get this involved with us."_

"_Yeah, you're always with the Dramatic Trio and such," Fred added._

_I looked up into Fred's eyes. He was often known to be the crueler of the twins, but he was more protective too. Then I looked over towards George and said, "I just want to be more like you. I have nothing to worry about, so why should I worry? I'd rather be joking around and having fun. I'm done being serious."_

_Fred gave a disbelieving look as George said, "Aw come on, we don't believe that. Who's the guy who hurt you?"_

"_We'll beat him with our Beater bats!" Fred exclaimed._

"_Or you could just knock him in the head with a bludger next Saturday," I suggested._

"_It's a Slytherin!" they both shouted._

"_Wait a second," said George, staring at Fred._

_Fred's face was astonished as he looked back at George. "It can't be..."_

_I covered my face. "Yes," I admitted. "It is-"_

"_MALFOY!" they cut me off and quivered with rage._

"_It won't just be one bludger," Fred said, his voice icy. "He'll pay for this." Then Fred leaned down and kissed my cheek, dangerously near to my lips, as he and George left the room. I could hear them mumbling as they moved down the corridor. Once they were out of earshot I ran my hands through my hair and sighed. "Poor Malfoy," I said, smirking a bit as I exited the empty classroom and made my way back up to the Common Room. I didn't know what would happen, but I knew I felt better after going to the twins._


End file.
